KIRO 7 says federal officers caught Weddington selling crack with a 3D-printed handgun. The release says Seattle police saw the deal, and that the gun was a 9mm polymer ghost gun.

Five years, and 5 years, are not the same typesetting. Crack cocaine, cocaine, and cocaine base are not the same word in every sentence. Federal law enforcement officers, and Seattle police, are not the same agency. A 3D-printed handgun, and a 9mm polymer gun, are not the same description. A guilty plea and a sentence are not a jury verdict.

KIRO 7, by Julie Berg, published Nov. 7, 2026, at 8:17 a.m. PST, reported that a 24-year-old Seattle man was sentenced Friday to five years in federal prison for dealing crack cocaine while armed with a 3D-printed handgun, and attributed that to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. It reported Ishmael Malakhi Weddington received the term in U.S. District Court after federal law enforcement officers caught him selling drugs in the city’s downtown commercial district. The U.S. Attorney’s Office release, dated Nov. 6, 2026, and printed by EZ News under the header USAO - Washington, Western, says a 24-year-old Seattle man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 5 years in prison for dealing cocaine while armed with a 9mm polymer gun with an extended magazine, announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Friday, on KIRO 7, and today, on a release dated Nov. 6, are the same weekday only because Nov. 6, 2026, was a Friday. Five years, and 5 years, are not the same typesetting. Crack cocaine, in KIRO 7’s lede, and cocaine, in the release’s lede, are not the same word. Federal law enforcement officers, on KIRO 7, and Seattle Police, in the release, are not the same agency. The release then says that when he was taken into custody he possessed dealer packaged amounts of crack cocaine and had a 9mm firearm with an extended magazine holding 27 bullets, and that the gun was a ‘ghost gun’ produced by a 3D printer and without any serial number. Dealer packaged, in that sentence, has no hyphen. KIRO 7 later prints dealer-packaged, with a hyphen. A 3D-printed handgun, on KIRO 7, and a 9mm polymer gun, and a 9mm firearm, and a ghost gun produced by a 3D printer, on the release, are not the same description. KIRO 7 does not print Charles Neil Floyd.

KIRO 7 reported that, according to court records, Seattle Police officers observed Weddington dealing drugs on July 28, 2025, during a targeted law enforcement operation near Second Avenue and Blanchard Street, that he walked repeated laps around a single block in a hooded sweatshirt and a crossbody bag, and that the sweatshirt’s front pocket appeared heavily weighed down by a dense object. It reported a woman approached him, they walked a short distance, she handed him folded paper money, and he handed her a small, white, rock-like substance from the bag. It reported officers moved in moments later and arrested him shortly after the buyer departed, and that a search found a 9mm firearm hanging out of his sweatshirt pocket, a ghost gun with no serial number, loaded with an extended magazine containing 27 bullets. It reported dealer-packaged cocaine base, a digital scale, and cash were in his crossbody bag and pockets, and that he was charged in federal court on Aug. 7, 2025. The release says Seattle Police saw him deal drugs around Second Ave and Blanchard Street. Second Avenue, and Second Ave, are not the same spelling. It says officers observed him making laps around one block, with an en dash before he had a crossbody bag and wore a hooded sweatshirt, and that the front pocket appeared to be weighed down by something fairly heavy. A dense object, and something fairly heavy, are not the same phrase. Repeated laps around a single block, and making laps around one block, are not the same sentence. The release says a woman approached, the two walked a distance together, and she handed him some folded bills. Folded paper money, and folded bills, are not the same words. A short distance, and a distance, are not the same length. It says she left, and that moments later uniformed officers arrested him. Shortly after the buyer departed, and the woman left, are not the same sentence. It says they found the firearm with the extended magazine hanging out of his sweatshirt pocket, cocaine base in the crossbody bag, and money and a scale in his pockets. KIRO 7 puts the cocaine base, the scale, and the cash in the bag and the pockets together. The release splits them. Twenty-seven bullets, on both accounts of the gun, and 27 rounds of ammunition, in the prosecutor’s memorandum quoted below, are not the same word. The woman is not named. Neither account says she was charged.

KIRO 7 reported Weddington pleaded guilty on Aug. 6, 2026, to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and that Judge Ricardo S. Martinez imposed the sentence, including three years of supervised release following his release from prison. The release uses the same plea date and the same two counts, and it says he was charged federally on August 7, 2025. Aug. 7, and August 7, are not the same typesetting. KIRO 7 reported prosecutors requested five years because of the danger of armed drug distribution, and that they noted he carried the loaded semi-automatic handgun specifically to further his drug trafficking enterprise. The release quotes the memorandum: “Not only was Weddington engaged in drug trafficking activities for his financial gain, but he did so while armed with a semi-automatic handgun equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition. The combination of his drug trafficking activities with a firearm, which he admits was possessed in furtherance of his drug trafficking enterprise, placed the community at risk of significant harm.” Specifically to further, on KIRO 7, and admits was possessed in furtherance, in that quotation, are not the same words. KIRO 7 does not print the quotation. Both accounts print Judge Martinez telling him, “I hope you are serious when you say you are intent on making changes for the future,” Weddington saying, “It’s imperative that I never return here again,” and Martinez saying, “People can say anything they want – but they need to walk the walk.” The release’s last sentencing sentence spells the name Martnez: “Judge Martnez imposed three years of supervised release to follow prison.” Martinez, in the quotations, and Martnez, in that sentence, are not the same spelling. Following his release from prison, and to follow prison, are not the same phrase. The release quotes Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd, “When drug dealers choose to arm themselves to protect their drug trade, they are looking at mandatory federal prison time,” and, “I commend the Seattle Police Department for bringing this case to our attention.” Charles Neil Floyd, in the announcement line, and Neil Floyd, on the quotation, are not the same name line. KIRO 7 does not print that quotation. The release says the Seattle Police Department investigated and Assistant United States Attorney Brian Wynne is prosecuting. KIRO 7 does not print Wynne. A guilty plea and a sentence imposed Friday are not a jury verdict. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.